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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27959444">Food Safety and Consumption Policies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevanna/pseuds/Nevanna'>Nevanna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Redefined Identities and Priorities (Magnusquerade) [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magnus Archives (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Vampire, Implied/Referenced Mind Control, Other, Power Dynamics</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 01:00:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>810</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27959444</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevanna/pseuds/Nevanna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Elias has a few things to say about Jon's recent feeding habits.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elias Bouchard &amp; Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Redefined Identities and Priorities (Magnusquerade) [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021207</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>The_Magnusquerade</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Food Safety and Consumption Policies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you, once again, to alliedwolves for beta reading and story-jamming. &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Cutting it close again, aren’t you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anger -- both at his visitor, and at himself for not noticing that he wasn’t alone -- jolted along Jon’s spine.  Even in his darkened office, he could plainly see Elias smirking down at him.  “I assume that you’re not here to discuss the Institute’s quarterly budget allocations,” he said tightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perhaps I would be able to focus on such matters,” Elias replied, “if I didn’t feel obligated -- </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span> -- to address my Archivist’s behavior.  Now, I believe that you sent Martin home last night? Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> relax,” he said, as Jon rose to his feet, fangs sharpening </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> enough.  “I don’t imagine that either of us have need of his presence right now.  Though I do hope that he’s managing without </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> there to pet and soothe away his unpleasant dreams.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Martin certainly had plenty of his own nightmares before he was assaulted by centuries-old memories, but those dreams hadn’t caused him to shudder awake with a wail of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jonah, please, I need, I need…</span>
  </em>
  <span> “It will take time for him to recover from </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> meddling,” Jon growled.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elias, maddeningly, appeared unfazed.  “Since he isn’t here, we can speak frankly. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>you, </span>
  </em>
  <span>without his clinging, have been able to move about the city as you wish.”  He studied Jon’s face.  “Are you surprised that I’m aware of your needs, and how you’ve been fulfilling them?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I probably shouldn’t be,” Jon snapped.  “It isn’t as though I’m  endangering our precious </span>
  <em>
    <span>secret</span>
  </em>
  <span>, am I?” He’d known since his first of several nocturnal excursions (</span>
  <em>
    <span>hunts,</span>
  </em>
  <span> his mind supplied helpfully) that Elias, in turn, would </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> about them sooner or later… and, if Jon were honest with himself, there were other eventualities that worried him more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your eating habits are your own business,” Elias countered.  “I might object to your seeking out your prey in a </span>
  <em>
    <span>cemetery,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but the classics </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>have their appeal.  And you showed a commendable level of finesse in rearranging memories, </span>
  <em>
    <span>well </span>
  </em>
  <span>before your… ah… period of incapacitation.”  His smile faded.  “However…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I knew there’d be a ‘however,’” Jon muttered, trying to pretend that some treacherous part of his mind hadn’t glowed at his sire’s praise. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You seem committed to keeping your activities a secret from your thralls.  Now, it’s not their </span>
  <em>
    <span>place</span>
  </em>
  <span> to interfere.”  Before Jon could protest, Elias continued, “Have you considered what might happen if they were to find out?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you threatening to tell them?” Jon imagined Melanie’s unchecked fury, and pictured Martin’s sweet face twisting in betrayal or relaxing into agreeable blankness, depending upon his mental state.  Of all those reactions, Jon wasn’t sure which one would hurt the most.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I doubt that I will need to,” Elias replied.  “Since Tim’s departure, you ought to have needed more blood from the other two, but you haven’t. They’re both observant researchers, despite their lack of formal qualifications. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> notice that your energy is not depleted, unless you take the appropriate measures.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Such as what?” Jon demanded.  “Mandatory psychic reconditioning?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elias raised an eyebrow.  “If you like. Though, before you go to such dramatic lengths, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> rearrange my schedule in order to give you access to nourishment here at the Institute.  I’m sure that more than a few of our staff have had experiences with the supernatural that they’d prefer to forget, if you’re so intent upon being </span>
  <em>
    <span>helpful.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Absolutely not.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elias didn’t look particularly surprised. “You would rather not have to see or think about your food sources after you’ve used them, I take it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That is beside the point.”  Jon tried to sound convincing.  “But I doubt that Martin and Melanie would find your alternative any less appalling.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your childishly sarcastic remarks about ‘reconditioning’ aside, you have also pointed out, quite truthfully, that they are </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> responsibility,” Elias reminded him.  “You can decide what they know, and how they feel about it.  And </span>
  <em>
    <span>decisive</span>
  </em>
  <span> is exactly what you need to be.”  Jon felt a momentary, distinct, but not unpleasant pressure inside his head, like a firm hand on his shoulder.  “You might not think that I understand such challenges, but I do, more than anyone else ever could.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you still expect me to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>grateful?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Jon demanded, but he was asking the question of an empty room.  The click of the closing door was almost unimaginably loud.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wished that he’d gone home with Martin after all, curled up against him and kept their fears at bay (even if he felt like Elias’s mocking words had poisoned whatever comfort those embraces had afforded).  He wished that he’d had more self-control on that first outing, and restrained his hunger until he and his assistants could discuss their options as a team (even if he wasn’t sure they were any such thing).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead, Jon buried his head in his hands, alone once again, and wondered if it was too late.</span>
</p>
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